Morgan Technical Ceramics announced that it has received a U.S. trademark for Sharkskin(TM) high-roughness textured alumina material, manufactured at its Hayward, CA site. Sharkskin provides a high-roughness surface texture integral to the alumina base material. The roughened surface improves process residue adhesion for film processes, primarily for physical vapor deposition , plasma-enhanced PVD and chemical vapor deposition. The improved adhesion enhances equipment productivity by extending service life, reducing overall particulate defects and reducing the total number of preventative maintenance cycles per chamber.
The use of Sharkskin enables reliable deposition of highly compressive films. Chip manufacturing companies have already been successful in using Sharkskin in a PVD deposition chamber within a production environment.
Sharkskin prototype and volume production capabilities include green or fired parts and new and used parts. The material is ideal for parts with complex geometries. Sharkskin has the same acid and plasma-resistant qualities as the high purity alumina material already widely used in semiconductor manufacturing tools, and can be cleaned and recycled using current technology. It can be used for tungsten, aluminum and copper deposition applications.
Used primarily for reactor domes, shields, and cover rings, Sharkskin can serve as a foundation to help the twin-wire arc spray layer adhere better to the base ceramic, doubling TWAS adhesion. Sharkskin also eliminates the need to re-grit blast parts after each cleaning, because the roughness is permanent and doesn't degrade with multiple use and cleaning. A further advantage is that Sharkskin is acid resistant and can therefore be used in environments where use of TWAS is precluded.
"Today's thinner integrated circuits demand better film adhesion," said Ed Tomasek, New Business Development Manager at MTC. "Advancements in process residue adhesion decrease chip defects and increase yields. Since adhesion is improved by roughening surfaces, Sharkskin offers an excellent option to replace or complement such traditional ceramic roughening methods as grit blasting or TWAS."
The Sharkskin texture can be placed exactly and precisely where it is most needed. Existing components that are now coated with TWAS can be textured with the Sharkskin material, minimizing disruption to existing processes and speeding the new component qualification process.
Although primarily used for PVD and CVD processes, Sharkskin texturing may also be suitable for etch processes, where photoresist materials can deposit within chambers and flake off. Sharkskin can also be used in solar applications to change reflectivity of surfaces for improved efficiency of solar panels. Medical and laser applications that require high adhesion properties may also benefit from use of the new process.
2011年10月31日星期一
2011年10月30日星期日
Can Worcester power its startup magnet?
A quick look at Worcester's economic base reveals that many of its largest employers were at the forefront of the global economy about 100 years ago. Is there more that Worcester could be doing to get its economy more plugged into the 21st century's economic trends?
Before getting into this, I was struck by a comment that Worcester native and Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie made last month. As I wrote in my Oct. 2 column, “Can Worcester draw entrepreneurs?”, Yoffie mentioned that his great uncle founded Worcester Knitting Co., a maker of polo shirts. Yoffie's father took over the firm.
In the 1970s, the EPA required WKC to invest in equipment to cut its flow of pollution to the Blackstone River. Yoffie's father would invest only if one of his three sons would run WKC. Yoffie's oldest brother took the bait but in the 1990s, WKC's high labor costs drove it out of business. Meanwhile, David continued with his education, earned graduate degrees from Stanford and ended up as a professor while his middle brother became a nationally famous rabbi.
For David, Worcester could not overcome the pull of other places to work. And that got me thinking about the concept of a regional startup magnet — the combination of forces that draws entrepreneurs to come to an area and build a business there. As my co-author, Srini Rangan, and I pointed out in our 2010 book, “Capital Rising,” a region's startup magnet consists of four factors with the potential to draw in capital for entrepreneurial activity.
We dubbed these four factors — corporate governance, capital markets, human capital and intellectual property protection — the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or EE. To get a clue of why Worcester's EE could be stronger, let's look at its employers.
Many of its biggest employers appear to have been founded well before the dawn of high-tech venture capitalism. Unfortunately, I don't have the best possible information on which to draw conclusions. Unlike Boston, which publishes annual lists of top employers, the best I could find for Worcester was an imprecise state report from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development titled “Largest 100 Employers in Worcester, MA-CT Metropolitan NECTA.” I would gladly report on more precise and up-to-date information for Worcester. In my analysis, below, I am excluding Westboro-based companies because, based on my interviews with entrepreneurs, most venture firms consider Westboro to be part of the Interstate 495 belt.
My conclusion is that Worcester's economy is dominated by insurance companies and the former Norton Co. For example, among the employers with between 1,000 and 4,999 employees are Commerce Insurance (founded in 1972), Hanover Insurance (founded 1852) and abrasives-maker Norton Co.
But not all of Worcester's biggest employers harken back to previous centuries. There are others that I had never heard of before — with the exception of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, where I have enjoyed skiing many times since my childhood. For example, among the companies with 1,000 to 4,999 employees is Affiliated Podiatrists — it specializes in “Nail Fungus & Laser Toenail Treatment,” and although that number may represent its national “footprint” (pun intended), I sincerely doubt that it really employs that many people in Worcester. VNA Care Network, which offers “home health care, hospice, and wellness services,” I'd be more willing to believe is in the 1,000 to 4,999 employees.
Among the smaller organizations — employing between 250 and 1,000 people — is a smattering of state and city government entities, Wyman Gordon (founded 1883), Morgan Construction (founded in 1888 and now part of Siemens), and some health care providers. But there are also a few glimmers of high-tech hope — Abbott Bioresearch Center, which does immunology research, and Allegro Micro Systems, a semiconductor division now part of Japan's Sanken Electric Co., each employs between 500 and 999, according to that state report.
But what's striking about these examples is that most of these companies are owned by people outside Worcester. The city is not spurring enough startup growth to replace those companies that are run by people outside the area.
To spur entrepreneurship and attract capital, Worcester needs to boost weaknesses in its EE. While Worcester could “rent” America's strong corporate governance rules, intellectual property protection and its access to global financial markets, it needs to improve in the areas of building up its human capital — namely people who can start companies and help design and make the products. From that human capital, venture capital might flow to the region as well.
Before getting into this, I was struck by a comment that Worcester native and Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie made last month. As I wrote in my Oct. 2 column, “Can Worcester draw entrepreneurs?”, Yoffie mentioned that his great uncle founded Worcester Knitting Co., a maker of polo shirts. Yoffie's father took over the firm.
In the 1970s, the EPA required WKC to invest in equipment to cut its flow of pollution to the Blackstone River. Yoffie's father would invest only if one of his three sons would run WKC. Yoffie's oldest brother took the bait but in the 1990s, WKC's high labor costs drove it out of business. Meanwhile, David continued with his education, earned graduate degrees from Stanford and ended up as a professor while his middle brother became a nationally famous rabbi.
For David, Worcester could not overcome the pull of other places to work. And that got me thinking about the concept of a regional startup magnet — the combination of forces that draws entrepreneurs to come to an area and build a business there. As my co-author, Srini Rangan, and I pointed out in our 2010 book, “Capital Rising,” a region's startup magnet consists of four factors with the potential to draw in capital for entrepreneurial activity.
We dubbed these four factors — corporate governance, capital markets, human capital and intellectual property protection — the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or EE. To get a clue of why Worcester's EE could be stronger, let's look at its employers.
Many of its biggest employers appear to have been founded well before the dawn of high-tech venture capitalism. Unfortunately, I don't have the best possible information on which to draw conclusions. Unlike Boston, which publishes annual lists of top employers, the best I could find for Worcester was an imprecise state report from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development titled “Largest 100 Employers in Worcester, MA-CT Metropolitan NECTA.” I would gladly report on more precise and up-to-date information for Worcester. In my analysis, below, I am excluding Westboro-based companies because, based on my interviews with entrepreneurs, most venture firms consider Westboro to be part of the Interstate 495 belt.
My conclusion is that Worcester's economy is dominated by insurance companies and the former Norton Co. For example, among the employers with between 1,000 and 4,999 employees are Commerce Insurance (founded in 1972), Hanover Insurance (founded 1852) and abrasives-maker Norton Co.
But not all of Worcester's biggest employers harken back to previous centuries. There are others that I had never heard of before — with the exception of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, where I have enjoyed skiing many times since my childhood. For example, among the companies with 1,000 to 4,999 employees is Affiliated Podiatrists — it specializes in “Nail Fungus & Laser Toenail Treatment,” and although that number may represent its national “footprint” (pun intended), I sincerely doubt that it really employs that many people in Worcester. VNA Care Network, which offers “home health care, hospice, and wellness services,” I'd be more willing to believe is in the 1,000 to 4,999 employees.
Among the smaller organizations — employing between 250 and 1,000 people — is a smattering of state and city government entities, Wyman Gordon (founded 1883), Morgan Construction (founded in 1888 and now part of Siemens), and some health care providers. But there are also a few glimmers of high-tech hope — Abbott Bioresearch Center, which does immunology research, and Allegro Micro Systems, a semiconductor division now part of Japan's Sanken Electric Co., each employs between 500 and 999, according to that state report.
But what's striking about these examples is that most of these companies are owned by people outside Worcester. The city is not spurring enough startup growth to replace those companies that are run by people outside the area.
To spur entrepreneurship and attract capital, Worcester needs to boost weaknesses in its EE. While Worcester could “rent” America's strong corporate governance rules, intellectual property protection and its access to global financial markets, it needs to improve in the areas of building up its human capital — namely people who can start companies and help design and make the products. From that human capital, venture capital might flow to the region as well.
2011年10月27日星期四
Grate tips on putting your grill away for the winter
Year-round grilling is a growing trend but if you’re not a fan of getting chilled while you grill now’s a good time to clean your grill and put it away for the season. In Consumer Reports recent Facebook chat, Bob Markovich, Home and Yard editor, offered step-by-step tips on how to clean and store your grill so it’s ready when you remove the cover next spring.
Burn off the gunk. Heat up the grill one last time according to the manufacturer’s instructions to burn as much dried grease as possible off the grates before the final cleaning.
Clean the exterior. After the grill has cooled, use a soft cloth or sponge and mild dishwashing detergent on stainless steel exteriors and apply stainless polish afterward. For painted or enameled exteriors, use a non-scouring nylon brush and a 50-50 mix of water and white vinegar.
Then the interior. Use a nylon-bristle brush for porcelain-coated cast-iron grates, and steel—not brass—brushes to clean uncoated cast-iron grates. Wash flavorizer bars with soapy water and a non-abrasive pad. Dry grates and bars thoroughly so rust doesn't form. Also remove and the drip pan and clean it with a scraper followed by a mild detergent and a non-scouring pad. Finally, hose off the interior and dry it as best you can.
Burn off the gunk. Heat up the grill one last time according to the manufacturer’s instructions to burn as much dried grease as possible off the grates before the final cleaning.
Clean the exterior. After the grill has cooled, use a soft cloth or sponge and mild dishwashing detergent on stainless steel exteriors and apply stainless polish afterward. For painted or enameled exteriors, use a non-scouring nylon brush and a 50-50 mix of water and white vinegar.
Then the interior. Use a nylon-bristle brush for porcelain-coated cast-iron grates, and steel—not brass—brushes to clean uncoated cast-iron grates. Wash flavorizer bars with soapy water and a non-abrasive pad. Dry grates and bars thoroughly so rust doesn't form. Also remove and the drip pan and clean it with a scraper followed by a mild detergent and a non-scouring pad. Finally, hose off the interior and dry it as best you can.
2011年10月26日星期三
AkzoNobel Powder Coatings Unveils the Most Comprehensive Ready To Ship
AkzoNobel Powder Coatings today launched a new and improved ready to ship (RTS) offering to the North American Market RTS (Ready To Ship) Gen III, the next generation of the widely respected RTS range, draws on the expertise from across AkzoNobel Powder Coatings to offer an exciting and wide reaching assortment of powder coatings.
Developed from over 50 years of field experience and product refinement, RTS Gen III offers more than 300 Interpon products, technologies, chemistries and patented formulations. An enormous array of colors, appearances and industry specified products are available with the range, including an attractive assortment of metallic and textured effects.
Designed for customer convenience, the RTS Gen III product range offers consistency and excellent quality. Jim Clark, Market Segment Manager General Trade Coaters North America explained "the new RTS Gen III stock program is our biggest and best offering yet. A lot of work has gone into researching customers' needs and expectations, and this range offers a vast selection of coating options that offers the very best in powder coating technology."
Continues Clark "As a global leader in powder coatings technology, our dedication to constant sustainable innovation and color expertise means that this new range is not only technically and aesthetically superb, but also that the products are formulated to work on multiple types of systems, thus offering the flexibility and adaptability that we know our customers need".
The RTS Gen III range benefits from the wealth of experience associated with a global company but is delivered with all of the advantages of a strong local service offering created with the customer in mind.
AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers.
Our portfolio includes well known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are a Global Fortune 500 company and are consistently ranked as one of the leaders on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.
With operations in more than 80 countries, our 55,000 people around the world are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today.
Developed from over 50 years of field experience and product refinement, RTS Gen III offers more than 300 Interpon products, technologies, chemistries and patented formulations. An enormous array of colors, appearances and industry specified products are available with the range, including an attractive assortment of metallic and textured effects.
Designed for customer convenience, the RTS Gen III product range offers consistency and excellent quality. Jim Clark, Market Segment Manager General Trade Coaters North America explained "the new RTS Gen III stock program is our biggest and best offering yet. A lot of work has gone into researching customers' needs and expectations, and this range offers a vast selection of coating options that offers the very best in powder coating technology."
Continues Clark "As a global leader in powder coatings technology, our dedication to constant sustainable innovation and color expertise means that this new range is not only technically and aesthetically superb, but also that the products are formulated to work on multiple types of systems, thus offering the flexibility and adaptability that we know our customers need".
The RTS Gen III range benefits from the wealth of experience associated with a global company but is delivered with all of the advantages of a strong local service offering created with the customer in mind.
AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers.
Our portfolio includes well known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are a Global Fortune 500 company and are consistently ranked as one of the leaders on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.
With operations in more than 80 countries, our 55,000 people around the world are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today.
2011年10月25日星期二
Wary Firms Are 'Destocking'
While many big industrial companies still sound optimistic about 2012, a few, including 3M Co. and DuPont Co., that typically take it on the chin in the early stages of an economic downturn are starting to warn that they're feeling pain. Their customers, mostly other manufacturers, in some cases are "destocking," or cutting their inventories of raw materials, in the face of increased caution about the year ahead.
A much more pronounced bout of destocking heralded the start of the 2008-2009 recession. This time around, big companies say they don't see as dramatic a change in order flow.
After 3M reported a surprise drop in third-quarter earnings Tuesday, its chief executive, George Buckley, said the weaker demand the company has seen in recent weeks is likely to spread. Many of 3M's products are films, adhesives, abrasives and other raw materials used by other manufacturers.
When those companies see slower demand and rush to trim raw-material inventories, "we always see the effect early, typically one to two quarters before our industrial peers," Mr. Buckley told analysts.
Other executives are also sounding more cautious. "Most companies have got a Plan A and a Plan B," the first for continued modest growth and the second for a slump, said Alexander "Sandy" Cutler, CEO of Eaton Corp., a big maker of electrical and hydraulic equipment, in an interview. "They're not sure which one to put into effect."
For now, Mr. Cutler still expects "modest" global economic growth next year as China subdues inflation without suffering any major slowdown in economic output and the U.S. avoids a double-dip recession.
Earlier this week, Eaton reported weakness in Chinese demand for hydraulic equipment used in construction machinery after Chinese authorities put the brakes on building as part of an effort to control inflation. But Eaton said it expected China's construction market to be brisk again by mid-2012, partly because the Chinese government is pushing for more building of low-income housing.
"It's too early to tell whether there's a general destocking going on," said Don Norman, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a research group in Arlington, Va. So far, he sees only an effort by some manufacturers to trim inventories to match a slower rate of output growth.
Corporate griping about the economy is sometimes misleading. Blaming a sudden change in the broader economy can be a convenient excuse for companies like 3M that fall short of their own growth targets. But much of the CEO chatter in recent days has been more cautious than it was at the start of this year, when a surge in business investment was making up for weak consumer spending.
3M reported a 1.6% decline in third-quarter earnings, disappointing analysts who generally expected a rise of around 5%. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company, whose products range from automotive and electronic parts to medical supplies and Post-it notes, blamed weaker demand from European car makers and from producers of TVs and factory-automation equipment.
The recent weakness "could be short and temporary, or it could linger into next year," said Inge Thulin, 3M's chief operating officer. "We are prepared for either." 3M still expects modest global growth next year but will step up cost-cutting efforts if the outlook darkens further.
DuPont beat analysts' forecasts with a 23% jump in third-quarter profit, but CEO Ellen Kullman pointed to weak spots.
Making photo-voltaic cells for solar power projects has been one of DuPont's fastest-growing businesses, but Ms. Kullman said it recently became clear that customers had built up larger-than-expected inventories. She said supplies of the light-sensitive film at customers and distributors were more than double DuPont's previous estimate.
DuPont's titanium dioxide business has been a long-time leading indicator of wider industrial activity because of its use in paint and other coatings. DuPont said it "sold every pound we made" in the latest quarter but expected a "pause" in the final three months of the year, citing slowing demand in China.
The company's consumer electronics side, producing liquid-crystal displays, films and packaging for circuitry, was also hit by what Ms. Kullman said was a lack of confidence among customers about near-term demand for some electronic products.
Commercial-truck maker Paccar Inc. said it will reduce build rates in Europe for its DAF brand of trucks by 5% to 10% in December in anticipation of weakening demand. "There's is a lot of uncertainty out there," Chief Executive Mark Pigott said. Likewise, Sweden's Volvo AB, which expects industry-wide truck sales in Europe to fall by 10% in 2012, plans to reduce its truck manufacturing rates in Europe next year.
A much more pronounced bout of destocking heralded the start of the 2008-2009 recession. This time around, big companies say they don't see as dramatic a change in order flow.
After 3M reported a surprise drop in third-quarter earnings Tuesday, its chief executive, George Buckley, said the weaker demand the company has seen in recent weeks is likely to spread. Many of 3M's products are films, adhesives, abrasives and other raw materials used by other manufacturers.
When those companies see slower demand and rush to trim raw-material inventories, "we always see the effect early, typically one to two quarters before our industrial peers," Mr. Buckley told analysts.
Other executives are also sounding more cautious. "Most companies have got a Plan A and a Plan B," the first for continued modest growth and the second for a slump, said Alexander "Sandy" Cutler, CEO of Eaton Corp., a big maker of electrical and hydraulic equipment, in an interview. "They're not sure which one to put into effect."
For now, Mr. Cutler still expects "modest" global economic growth next year as China subdues inflation without suffering any major slowdown in economic output and the U.S. avoids a double-dip recession.
Earlier this week, Eaton reported weakness in Chinese demand for hydraulic equipment used in construction machinery after Chinese authorities put the brakes on building as part of an effort to control inflation. But Eaton said it expected China's construction market to be brisk again by mid-2012, partly because the Chinese government is pushing for more building of low-income housing.
"It's too early to tell whether there's a general destocking going on," said Don Norman, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a research group in Arlington, Va. So far, he sees only an effort by some manufacturers to trim inventories to match a slower rate of output growth.
Corporate griping about the economy is sometimes misleading. Blaming a sudden change in the broader economy can be a convenient excuse for companies like 3M that fall short of their own growth targets. But much of the CEO chatter in recent days has been more cautious than it was at the start of this year, when a surge in business investment was making up for weak consumer spending.
3M reported a 1.6% decline in third-quarter earnings, disappointing analysts who generally expected a rise of around 5%. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company, whose products range from automotive and electronic parts to medical supplies and Post-it notes, blamed weaker demand from European car makers and from producers of TVs and factory-automation equipment.
The recent weakness "could be short and temporary, or it could linger into next year," said Inge Thulin, 3M's chief operating officer. "We are prepared for either." 3M still expects modest global growth next year but will step up cost-cutting efforts if the outlook darkens further.
DuPont beat analysts' forecasts with a 23% jump in third-quarter profit, but CEO Ellen Kullman pointed to weak spots.
Making photo-voltaic cells for solar power projects has been one of DuPont's fastest-growing businesses, but Ms. Kullman said it recently became clear that customers had built up larger-than-expected inventories. She said supplies of the light-sensitive film at customers and distributors were more than double DuPont's previous estimate.
DuPont's titanium dioxide business has been a long-time leading indicator of wider industrial activity because of its use in paint and other coatings. DuPont said it "sold every pound we made" in the latest quarter but expected a "pause" in the final three months of the year, citing slowing demand in China.
The company's consumer electronics side, producing liquid-crystal displays, films and packaging for circuitry, was also hit by what Ms. Kullman said was a lack of confidence among customers about near-term demand for some electronic products.
Commercial-truck maker Paccar Inc. said it will reduce build rates in Europe for its DAF brand of trucks by 5% to 10% in December in anticipation of weakening demand. "There's is a lot of uncertainty out there," Chief Executive Mark Pigott said. Likewise, Sweden's Volvo AB, which expects industry-wide truck sales in Europe to fall by 10% in 2012, plans to reduce its truck manufacturing rates in Europe next year.
2011年10月24日星期一
Economy's not all doom and gloom for Hudson entrepreneur
It’s no secret that times are tough and the local economy is struggling, but if you look in the right places you’ll find some local companies flourishing in these tough times.
One example is Carolina Base-Pac.
It’s a pallet-making company headquartered in Hudson and owned by Newton native Weidner Abernethy.
Abernethy, 45, bought Carolina Base-Pac about 11 years ago.
“It was a small company when I bought it,” Abernethy said. “It had 17 employees. It now has 41. We run two shifts.”
Carolina Base-Pac gets 13 to 15 tractor trailer loads of raw lumber delivered each week and turns all of it into pallets.
“We own our own trucks. We have two drivers, and we keep them busy 5½ days a week,” Abernethy said.
Carolina Base-Pac’s niche is custom orders and short production runs.
“If it’s made out of wood and nails – we’ll build it,” Abernethy said. “The customization of what we do here has kept our business strong during this economy.”
The company builds pallets for a wide variety of clients including the auto industry, furniture companies and the U.S. military.
Abernethy takes pride in the wooden crates he’s been contracted to build, so rugged that they can be dropped out of a helicopter and survive the impact.
The company’s motto is “Whatever it takes.” As Carolina Base-Pac’s sole sales representative, Abernethy takes the motto seriously and he’s focused on quick production and high quality.
While he’s out in the field making sales in a 200-mile radius from the plant, he counts on his employees to produce work that conforms to his standards.
“Our employees are the backbone of our company,” he said. “We have awesome teamwork at the plant.”
Abernethy wasn’t born into the pallet business. He went the long way to get where he is.
After Abernethy graduated from Newton-Conover High School, he attended Lees-McRae College then transferred to Catawba College. He studied business and marketing and graduated in 1989.
He played tennis in college, but gave it up when he finished school. Golf became his sport when he began his sales career with Klingspor, a company that specializes in industrial abrasives.
He rose though the ranks to become a regional sales manager. When the company started up an automotive division, Abernethy became the division’s sales manager.
The company’s owner, Christoph Klingspor, became a mentor for Abernethy. When it was time for a change, he supported Abernethy’s decision.
“I asked a lot of questions. He encouraged me to start my own business,” he said. “He has been and still is my mentor.”
Going from a career in sales for an established company to owning his own company was a leap of faith.
“I just wanted to do something on my own. I wanted to have control of my own destiny,” Abernethy said. “Knowing other successful business leaders, I’ve seen the challenges that they have been faced with and I was eager to try out my own entrepreneurship.”
It was a big risk that paid off well, not just for Abernethy and his family, but for his employees and their families.
One example is Carolina Base-Pac.
It’s a pallet-making company headquartered in Hudson and owned by Newton native Weidner Abernethy.
Abernethy, 45, bought Carolina Base-Pac about 11 years ago.
“It was a small company when I bought it,” Abernethy said. “It had 17 employees. It now has 41. We run two shifts.”
Carolina Base-Pac gets 13 to 15 tractor trailer loads of raw lumber delivered each week and turns all of it into pallets.
“We own our own trucks. We have two drivers, and we keep them busy 5½ days a week,” Abernethy said.
Carolina Base-Pac’s niche is custom orders and short production runs.
“If it’s made out of wood and nails – we’ll build it,” Abernethy said. “The customization of what we do here has kept our business strong during this economy.”
The company builds pallets for a wide variety of clients including the auto industry, furniture companies and the U.S. military.
Abernethy takes pride in the wooden crates he’s been contracted to build, so rugged that they can be dropped out of a helicopter and survive the impact.
The company’s motto is “Whatever it takes.” As Carolina Base-Pac’s sole sales representative, Abernethy takes the motto seriously and he’s focused on quick production and high quality.
While he’s out in the field making sales in a 200-mile radius from the plant, he counts on his employees to produce work that conforms to his standards.
“Our employees are the backbone of our company,” he said. “We have awesome teamwork at the plant.”
Abernethy wasn’t born into the pallet business. He went the long way to get where he is.
After Abernethy graduated from Newton-Conover High School, he attended Lees-McRae College then transferred to Catawba College. He studied business and marketing and graduated in 1989.
He played tennis in college, but gave it up when he finished school. Golf became his sport when he began his sales career with Klingspor, a company that specializes in industrial abrasives.
He rose though the ranks to become a regional sales manager. When the company started up an automotive division, Abernethy became the division’s sales manager.
The company’s owner, Christoph Klingspor, became a mentor for Abernethy. When it was time for a change, he supported Abernethy’s decision.
“I asked a lot of questions. He encouraged me to start my own business,” he said. “He has been and still is my mentor.”
Going from a career in sales for an established company to owning his own company was a leap of faith.
“I just wanted to do something on my own. I wanted to have control of my own destiny,” Abernethy said. “Knowing other successful business leaders, I’ve seen the challenges that they have been faced with and I was eager to try out my own entrepreneurship.”
It was a big risk that paid off well, not just for Abernethy and his family, but for his employees and their families.
2011年10月23日星期日
Sylvester and Horrigan, Veteran's Day grand marshals
Looking back on his three years in the U.S. Army, serving at Fort Hamilton in New York before he was sent to Germany during the 1960s, Westborough native Robert Sylvester said he only remembers the positive things.
“It was very enjoyable,” Sylvester said. “You don’t remember the bad things.”
When describing his military experience, Westborough resident Paul Horrigan calls it both “interesting” and “enjoyable.”
At this year’s Veteran’s Day services on Nov. 11th, both Sylvester and Horrigan will be honored for their military services as Grand Marshals. On Tuesday, the two veterans sat down with Ken Ferrera, Assistant Veteran’s Agent and host of Westborough TV’s ‘Veteran’s Corner,’ to talk about their experiences, the town and the upcoming event.
“I really felt unworthy (of this honor),” said Horrigan. “I never anticipated I would be Grand Marshal.”
According to Ferrera, the Veteran’s Day Grand Marshals are selected based on their military experience and their service in the community.
“We like to recognize people in the town who have supported the community,” said Ferrera.
Sylvester, 74, was born in Westborough and served three years in the army. He was drafted into the army at 22 and spent two and a half years with the 7th Army, 17th Artillery near Stuttgart, Germany, and was promoted to the rank of E4 before returning to the states. He was discharged in Dec. 1962 with good conduct and Sharpshooter Medals.
Upon returning to Westborough, Sylvester graduated from Westborough High School and worked at the Bay State Abrasives factory until 1998.
After retiring, Sylvester started to volunteer at the Knights of Columbus and Senior Center, and is known for cooking the food at monthly events.
“I really enjoy doing community work in the town,” said Sylvester. “There’s always been something in me that wants to work all the time.”
Horrigan, 70, joined the army in 1962 after graduating from Boston College with his bachelor’s degree. He served in the army’s 1st Cavalry Division in Korea from 1963 to 1964 before he joined Military Intelligence and served in Germany as a Staff Sergeant.
In 1966, Horrigan joined the Army Language Institute for Vietnamese to study the language. He shipped out to Vietnam in 1967 and worked with the people to gain important information for the military.
“I would cultivate sources of info for the military,” said Horringan. “I really enjoyed my service in the military. I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it.”
He returned to the U.S. in 1968 and worked with Army Intelligence before resigning in 1969.
Horrigan is an active member of the St. Luke’s Church parish and has volunteered with activities through the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and Westborough Youth Hockey.
Both Sylvester and Horrigan will be honored on Nov. 11 during the Veteran’s Day Ceremony. The services begin at 9 a.m. at the VFW Post 9013 on Milk Street and will proceed to Pine Grove Cemetery, the town’s Vietnam Memorial, the Forbes Municipal Building and Rotary before ending back at the VFW post. State Senator Jamie Eldridge, and State Representatives Caroline Dykema and Matt Beaton are scheduled to speak at the events as well.
All are welcome to attend.
“It was very enjoyable,” Sylvester said. “You don’t remember the bad things.”
When describing his military experience, Westborough resident Paul Horrigan calls it both “interesting” and “enjoyable.”
At this year’s Veteran’s Day services on Nov. 11th, both Sylvester and Horrigan will be honored for their military services as Grand Marshals. On Tuesday, the two veterans sat down with Ken Ferrera, Assistant Veteran’s Agent and host of Westborough TV’s ‘Veteran’s Corner,’ to talk about their experiences, the town and the upcoming event.
“I really felt unworthy (of this honor),” said Horrigan. “I never anticipated I would be Grand Marshal.”
According to Ferrera, the Veteran’s Day Grand Marshals are selected based on their military experience and their service in the community.
“We like to recognize people in the town who have supported the community,” said Ferrera.
Sylvester, 74, was born in Westborough and served three years in the army. He was drafted into the army at 22 and spent two and a half years with the 7th Army, 17th Artillery near Stuttgart, Germany, and was promoted to the rank of E4 before returning to the states. He was discharged in Dec. 1962 with good conduct and Sharpshooter Medals.
Upon returning to Westborough, Sylvester graduated from Westborough High School and worked at the Bay State Abrasives factory until 1998.
After retiring, Sylvester started to volunteer at the Knights of Columbus and Senior Center, and is known for cooking the food at monthly events.
“I really enjoy doing community work in the town,” said Sylvester. “There’s always been something in me that wants to work all the time.”
Horrigan, 70, joined the army in 1962 after graduating from Boston College with his bachelor’s degree. He served in the army’s 1st Cavalry Division in Korea from 1963 to 1964 before he joined Military Intelligence and served in Germany as a Staff Sergeant.
In 1966, Horrigan joined the Army Language Institute for Vietnamese to study the language. He shipped out to Vietnam in 1967 and worked with the people to gain important information for the military.
“I would cultivate sources of info for the military,” said Horringan. “I really enjoyed my service in the military. I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it.”
He returned to the U.S. in 1968 and worked with Army Intelligence before resigning in 1969.
Horrigan is an active member of the St. Luke’s Church parish and has volunteered with activities through the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and Westborough Youth Hockey.
Both Sylvester and Horrigan will be honored on Nov. 11 during the Veteran’s Day Ceremony. The services begin at 9 a.m. at the VFW Post 9013 on Milk Street and will proceed to Pine Grove Cemetery, the town’s Vietnam Memorial, the Forbes Municipal Building and Rotary before ending back at the VFW post. State Senator Jamie Eldridge, and State Representatives Caroline Dykema and Matt Beaton are scheduled to speak at the events as well.
All are welcome to attend.
2011年10月20日星期四
Wheels, Mounted Points Expose Abrasives as They Deburr
Rex-Cut Product’s Type 1 cotton-fiber abrasive wheels expose fresh abrasives as they work and do not change part geometry, making them suited for automated finishing applications on precision stainless steel parts. They feature multiple layers of non-woven cotton fabric impregnated with aluminum oxide or silicon carbide abrasives that are compressed with varying-bond hardness.
The wheels are available in sizes from 1- to 8-inch OD and ⅛- to ½-inch thick. They also are suitable for use on stainless steel, aluminum, steel and exotic alloys.
The company’s cotton-fiber mounted points also reveal fresh abrasives as they deburr and finish in one step, making them suited for end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) in automated metal deburring and finishing applications. They feature multiple layers of non-woven cotton fiber and either aluminum oxide or silicon carbide abrasive grains that are pressed and bonded into standard A, B and W shapes.
The mounted points are available in hard and soft bonds, and can be produced in custom shapes and sizes for finishing slots, seams, internal cavities and other applications without changing part geometry. They also are suitable for stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, exotics and aluminum.
The wheels are available in sizes from 1- to 8-inch OD and ⅛- to ½-inch thick. They also are suitable for use on stainless steel, aluminum, steel and exotic alloys.
The company’s cotton-fiber mounted points also reveal fresh abrasives as they deburr and finish in one step, making them suited for end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) in automated metal deburring and finishing applications. They feature multiple layers of non-woven cotton fiber and either aluminum oxide or silicon carbide abrasive grains that are pressed and bonded into standard A, B and W shapes.
The mounted points are available in hard and soft bonds, and can be produced in custom shapes and sizes for finishing slots, seams, internal cavities and other applications without changing part geometry. They also are suitable for stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, exotics and aluminum.
2011年10月19日星期三
For fine coal, a new separation equipment appears to help achieve the goal
Dry magnetic separator for dry magnetic separation of magnetic minerals beneficiation machinery, as opposed to wet magnetic separator to use when sorting mineral liquid as a diluent to improve separation efficiency, the dry magnetic separator is required to be separation of the mineral drying, particles can move freely, into independent free state, otherwise it will affect the magnetic effect, or even result in non-separation of the consequences.
As to the popular separation equipment, many manufactories and specilists make lots of researches to analyse and improve it. Therefore, a new separation equipment - dry permanent magnetic separator of fine coal appears.
Dry magnetic separator equipment is commonly used iron and manganese equipment, mainstream intensity magnetic separator mineral processing equipment. This series of dry magnetic separator for refractory, chemical materials, grain and oil machinery, abrasives, ceramics, metallurgy, cement, powder metallurgy, rubber, minerals and other materials in addition to (optional) Rail, and with Raymond , mill, ball mill supporting the use of.
It's popularized that dry permanent magnetic separator for coal separation in order to achieve desulphurization and dust reduction to ease enviromental pollution. However, due to weak magnetic coal minerals, conventional magnetic separator is far from for effective separation of fine coal. And the new permanent magnetic separator with reasonable magnetic system design is validated through mathematical modeling and analysis. At the polar distance of 0.45mm within the separation space, magnetic field strength can up to 1.3T. The new magnetic separator was used for different power plant for dry coal separation test, When the particle size is below 0.074mm, the desulfurization rate is 52.57%, 48.95%, respectively; and ash removal rate is 41.79%, 43.95%, respectively. The magnetic separator can achieve the dry coal pyrite separation; it also provides technical support for effective solution in coal-burning air pollution.
As to the popular separation equipment, many manufactories and specilists make lots of researches to analyse and improve it. Therefore, a new separation equipment - dry permanent magnetic separator of fine coal appears.
Dry magnetic separator equipment is commonly used iron and manganese equipment, mainstream intensity magnetic separator mineral processing equipment. This series of dry magnetic separator for refractory, chemical materials, grain and oil machinery, abrasives, ceramics, metallurgy, cement, powder metallurgy, rubber, minerals and other materials in addition to (optional) Rail, and with Raymond , mill, ball mill supporting the use of.
It's popularized that dry permanent magnetic separator for coal separation in order to achieve desulphurization and dust reduction to ease enviromental pollution. However, due to weak magnetic coal minerals, conventional magnetic separator is far from for effective separation of fine coal. And the new permanent magnetic separator with reasonable magnetic system design is validated through mathematical modeling and analysis. At the polar distance of 0.45mm within the separation space, magnetic field strength can up to 1.3T. The new magnetic separator was used for different power plant for dry coal separation test, When the particle size is below 0.074mm, the desulfurization rate is 52.57%, 48.95%, respectively; and ash removal rate is 41.79%, 43.95%, respectively. The magnetic separator can achieve the dry coal pyrite separation; it also provides technical support for effective solution in coal-burning air pollution.
2011年10月18日星期二
Sliberondeller til store overflader
Norton lancerer ved Saint-Gobain Abrasives A/S et nyt sortiment af sliberondeller specielt til anvendelse på store overflader. De nye rondeller har diamanter på 203 mm og findes i mange forskellige designs.
Ved slibning af store overflader lettes arbejdet hvis man anvender store sliberondeller, hvilket giver en mere effektiv slibning og et bedre resultat. Nortons nye sortiment med 203 mm sliberondeller anvendes især til slibning af primer og lakerede/malede overflader, komposit, glasfiber, ikke-jernholdige materialer som for eksempel aluminium.
Anvendelsesområdet findes især i billakering, skibs- og bådbygning og reparation samt fremstilling af produkter i kompositmaterialer.
De nye rondeller findes til grov og fin slibning. Til grov slibning anvendes Norton Blue Fire som har Norzon slibemiddel og en kraftigt og modstandsdygtig papir ryg. Denne rondel findes i korn 40-120. Norton Pro rondellerne anvendes til finere slibning. Her er anvendt et varmebehandlet, høj præsterende aluminiumoxid slibekorn samt en belægning som modvirker mætning.
Norton Pro rondeller findes i korn 80-400. Til meget fin slibning anvendes Norton Pro Plus som findes op til korn 800. Denne rondel er belagt med et Premium Norzon SG keramisk slibekorn og varmebehandlet aluminiumoxid som giver den hurtigste afvirkning og et meget jævnt og konstant slibemønster.
Ved slibning af store overflader lettes arbejdet hvis man anvender store sliberondeller, hvilket giver en mere effektiv slibning og et bedre resultat. Nortons nye sortiment med 203 mm sliberondeller anvendes især til slibning af primer og lakerede/malede overflader, komposit, glasfiber, ikke-jernholdige materialer som for eksempel aluminium.
Anvendelsesområdet findes især i billakering, skibs- og bådbygning og reparation samt fremstilling af produkter i kompositmaterialer.
De nye rondeller findes til grov og fin slibning. Til grov slibning anvendes Norton Blue Fire som har Norzon slibemiddel og en kraftigt og modstandsdygtig papir ryg. Denne rondel findes i korn 40-120. Norton Pro rondellerne anvendes til finere slibning. Her er anvendt et varmebehandlet, høj præsterende aluminiumoxid slibekorn samt en belægning som modvirker mætning.
Norton Pro rondeller findes i korn 80-400. Til meget fin slibning anvendes Norton Pro Plus som findes op til korn 800. Denne rondel er belagt med et Premium Norzon SG keramisk slibekorn og varmebehandlet aluminiumoxid som giver den hurtigste afvirkning og et meget jævnt og konstant slibemønster.
2011年10月17日星期一
Rio Tinto takes three French sites for sale
The British-Australian Rio Tinto will again separate from assets of its aluminum, after a "strategic review", designed to refocus the giant diversified mining assets of the "most profitable".These divestments will take place gradually as opportunities arise. According to Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto boss, "these assets are of good quality and well managed, but are no longer part of the strategy of the company."As a preliminary, six assets located in Australia and New Zealand will be consolidated into a new structure (Pacific Aluminium) and managed independently of the group prior to sale.A second group of assets, "non-strategic", leaving the perimeter, three aluminum plants and specialty aluminas site Gardanne in France and Germany, but also the Sebree smelter in the United States and Lynemouth that of the UK.
Regarding the site of Gardanne, opened in 1893 to exploit the bauxite into alumina and (650 000 tonnes per year), it would be the third change of control in less than ten years after the takeover of Pechiney Alcan (2003) and that of Alcan by Rio Tinto (2007).The establishment of Gardanne, which currently has 464 employees, including the production site (374 employees and 29 administrative), the Engineering Center (44 employees) and a Technical Assistance Center (17 employees) for plants alumina.
Moreover, in France, are also affected plants Beyrède-Jumet, in the Hautes-Pyrenees (about 80 employees).The plant, built in 1906, is the second largest supplier in Europe of brown corundum uses high-performance abrasives (grinding wheels, canvas and paper, surface treatment) and for monolithic and shaped refractory and that of the Bath, Savoie (130 employees end 2010).The plant in the Bath, which produced its first abrasive in 1911, specializes in the production of white corundum. It is unique in Europe!
Regarding the site of Gardanne, opened in 1893 to exploit the bauxite into alumina and (650 000 tonnes per year), it would be the third change of control in less than ten years after the takeover of Pechiney Alcan (2003) and that of Alcan by Rio Tinto (2007).The establishment of Gardanne, which currently has 464 employees, including the production site (374 employees and 29 administrative), the Engineering Center (44 employees) and a Technical Assistance Center (17 employees) for plants alumina.
Moreover, in France, are also affected plants Beyrède-Jumet, in the Hautes-Pyrenees (about 80 employees).The plant, built in 1906, is the second largest supplier in Europe of brown corundum uses high-performance abrasives (grinding wheels, canvas and paper, surface treatment) and for monolithic and shaped refractory and that of the Bath, Savoie (130 employees end 2010).The plant in the Bath, which produced its first abrasive in 1911, specializes in the production of white corundum. It is unique in Europe!
2011年10月16日星期日
The mind behind the designs at 3M
The 3M Co.'s Global Design Lab doesn't look like the other office space at the company's Maplewood headquarters.
Mauro Porcini likes it that way. He's a longtime 3M employee - and now a recent Italian import to the Maplewood campus - brought in to refresh the company's approach to design.
He's not wasting any time.
Porcini and his team provided "strong direction" for the redesigned office space on the headquarters campus, he said. And it's emblematic of what Porcini's team is starting to do for 3M's vast array of products.
"We cleared out everything; lights, carpet," Porcini said as he showed off the white, bright wide-open office. "If you looked at my house, you'd recognize the space."
Large stacks of over-sized Post-it Notes, several feet square in bright shades of pink and green, greet visitors at the lab's entrance.
A wide streak of fuchsia in the carpet curves from the entrance into the heart of the office and past project rooms, all with their own theme.
Inside Porcini's all-white office, a large iconic poster of Audrey Hepburn - decked out in pearls and a tiara in a scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - hangs behind his glass desk.
One of the designers, Lee Fain, keeps a Razor scooter at his workspace that he uses to wheel around the office.
What in the name of William L. McKnight is going on here?
One change in 3M's recent approach to design work is the involvement of designers earlier in the product development process.
"It's not that 3M hasn't done design before," said Don Branch, the 3M vice president responsible for the Filtrete brand within the consumer and office business. "But design, in many companies, meant that you develop a product and then right before you launch it, you make it pretty."
Integration of design into the earliest stages of product development is central to Porcini's method.
In an article by Porcini that appeared in dmi Review, a design-related publication, he wrote that when he joined 3M, he focused on "identifying sponsors within marketing and R&D" who could get designers involved at the start. He doesn't want design thought of as a "cake decoration."
3M also is doing more "ethnographic" research and involving designers in that process. The research involves spending time in a consumer's home, watching how they go about tasks to see what products may need modification, or coming up with ideas for completely new products. For the first time, Branch said, 3M designers are involved in that early research work.
3M recently has done such research in households in Korea, China and Japan with an eye toward building its water filtration business, Branch said.
In those Asian countries water purity is a much bigger issue for consumers than in the U.S., and 3M already has launched a well-received filter developed specifically for the market in Taiwan.
The company's efforts to move its product development closer to its end markets also factor into Porcini's mission. The design team has about 50 employees around the world now in offices including Milan, Shanghai, Tokyo and another set to open in Brazil next year.
Joe Harlan, former head of 3M's consumer and office business, lobbied for Porcini's 2009 move from Milan to Maplewood. That changed the dynamic of Porcini's influence, Branch said.
3M's core of research and development is still in Maplewood, and Porcini got to know the people making key decisions.
"When you're remotely located, it's hard to know who's zooming who," Branch said. "Now he's here, and he's figuring out how to make a difference. And he's been very effective at that."
People on Branch's team from 3M's design, labs and marketing departments meet almost weekly now to review potential new products, Branch said. With about 40 active projects in the hopper, they work to make refinements and decide which products are ready for market. The team recently introduced a slim water pitcher with a smaller filter and a design that doesn't take up as much refrigerator space.
Good design, Porcini said, "is always about smart, curious people coming up with new ideas."
Those ideas, with a Porcini influence, have included a number of new Post-it Note dispensers, including curvier, modern concepts that consumers have embraced. A more recent dispenser - with a cork bottom and a heavy glass top holding the notes in place - sold well in Europe and is going global.
The design team also worked on a sleek handheld camcorder/projector that has won favorable reviews from tech enthusiasts.
"Elegance," Porcini wrote in the design magazine, "describes the simplest path to solve even the most complex problem."
But he noted some users require "several layers of complexity" in their interaction with a cellphone or a camera "as that's what satisfies their need for feeling like an expert" or keeps them engaged over time.
3M safety glasses also got the design team's treatment, with thicker, more stylish curves. A marketer in Italy told Porcini "several people were buying them for skiing and cycling."
Porcini's team also has developed numerous prototypes, including snap bracelets with digital display screens and a large hoop light.
The team's potential to influence design has few limitations, as they're already working on products in all six of 3M's "big businesses." Given the materials and technology areas where 3M flourishes - adhesives, abrasives and high-tech goods such as optical film - and the 1,200 new products the company is introducing each year, Porcini's team will have no shortage of creative outlets.
Mauro Porcini likes it that way. He's a longtime 3M employee - and now a recent Italian import to the Maplewood campus - brought in to refresh the company's approach to design.
He's not wasting any time.
Porcini and his team provided "strong direction" for the redesigned office space on the headquarters campus, he said. And it's emblematic of what Porcini's team is starting to do for 3M's vast array of products.
"We cleared out everything; lights, carpet," Porcini said as he showed off the white, bright wide-open office. "If you looked at my house, you'd recognize the space."
Large stacks of over-sized Post-it Notes, several feet square in bright shades of pink and green, greet visitors at the lab's entrance.
A wide streak of fuchsia in the carpet curves from the entrance into the heart of the office and past project rooms, all with their own theme.
Inside Porcini's all-white office, a large iconic poster of Audrey Hepburn - decked out in pearls and a tiara in a scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - hangs behind his glass desk.
One of the designers, Lee Fain, keeps a Razor scooter at his workspace that he uses to wheel around the office.
What in the name of William L. McKnight is going on here?
One change in 3M's recent approach to design work is the involvement of designers earlier in the product development process.
"It's not that 3M hasn't done design before," said Don Branch, the 3M vice president responsible for the Filtrete brand within the consumer and office business. "But design, in many companies, meant that you develop a product and then right before you launch it, you make it pretty."
Integration of design into the earliest stages of product development is central to Porcini's method.
In an article by Porcini that appeared in dmi Review, a design-related publication, he wrote that when he joined 3M, he focused on "identifying sponsors within marketing and R&D" who could get designers involved at the start. He doesn't want design thought of as a "cake decoration."
3M also is doing more "ethnographic" research and involving designers in that process. The research involves spending time in a consumer's home, watching how they go about tasks to see what products may need modification, or coming up with ideas for completely new products. For the first time, Branch said, 3M designers are involved in that early research work.
3M recently has done such research in households in Korea, China and Japan with an eye toward building its water filtration business, Branch said.
In those Asian countries water purity is a much bigger issue for consumers than in the U.S., and 3M already has launched a well-received filter developed specifically for the market in Taiwan.
The company's efforts to move its product development closer to its end markets also factor into Porcini's mission. The design team has about 50 employees around the world now in offices including Milan, Shanghai, Tokyo and another set to open in Brazil next year.
Joe Harlan, former head of 3M's consumer and office business, lobbied for Porcini's 2009 move from Milan to Maplewood. That changed the dynamic of Porcini's influence, Branch said.
3M's core of research and development is still in Maplewood, and Porcini got to know the people making key decisions.
"When you're remotely located, it's hard to know who's zooming who," Branch said. "Now he's here, and he's figuring out how to make a difference. And he's been very effective at that."
People on Branch's team from 3M's design, labs and marketing departments meet almost weekly now to review potential new products, Branch said. With about 40 active projects in the hopper, they work to make refinements and decide which products are ready for market. The team recently introduced a slim water pitcher with a smaller filter and a design that doesn't take up as much refrigerator space.
Good design, Porcini said, "is always about smart, curious people coming up with new ideas."
Those ideas, with a Porcini influence, have included a number of new Post-it Note dispensers, including curvier, modern concepts that consumers have embraced. A more recent dispenser - with a cork bottom and a heavy glass top holding the notes in place - sold well in Europe and is going global.
The design team also worked on a sleek handheld camcorder/projector that has won favorable reviews from tech enthusiasts.
"Elegance," Porcini wrote in the design magazine, "describes the simplest path to solve even the most complex problem."
But he noted some users require "several layers of complexity" in their interaction with a cellphone or a camera "as that's what satisfies their need for feeling like an expert" or keeps them engaged over time.
3M safety glasses also got the design team's treatment, with thicker, more stylish curves. A marketer in Italy told Porcini "several people were buying them for skiing and cycling."
Porcini's team also has developed numerous prototypes, including snap bracelets with digital display screens and a large hoop light.
The team's potential to influence design has few limitations, as they're already working on products in all six of 3M's "big businesses." Given the materials and technology areas where 3M flourishes - adhesives, abrasives and high-tech goods such as optical film - and the 1,200 new products the company is introducing each year, Porcini's team will have no shortage of creative outlets.
2011年10月13日星期四
Ettlinger demos new filter in US
Although its name is established in Europe and Asia, German specialty machinery maker Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH still has a way to go in establishing its brand in North America.
That makes events like the Oct. 6 demonstration of Ettlinger’s rotating melt filter at KraussMaffei Corp.’s Florence headquarters essential, according to General Manager Volker Neuber.
“We’re a small company, but we want to make sure that we engineer a product with a good reputation,” he said. “We know we have an excellent product, but we have to get the brand known as well as it is in Europe, where it is already proven.”
Accompanied by Thorsten Ettlinger, the firm’s general manager of engineering, and Mike Diletti, its North American sales manager, Neuber and a team of KraussMaffei extrusion engineers ran the stainless-steel filtration system through its paces on a KM ZE 60A UTXi twin-screw extruder at the open house, running polypropylene and high density polyethylene as the main material and loading handfuls of PET chips, rubber bands, wood and aluminum scrap into the hopper from time to time.
At the end of the line, pellets of clean resin rushed from a Gala underwater pelletizer into bins under a high-pressure air hose.
The filter, mounted on a rotating drum, is scraped clean by a knife edge, with the pressure of the knife and speed of the drum controlled by temperature and pressure sensors.
While the primary material flows through holes in the screen, foreign matter is cleaned off and removed from the device by a carryout screw.
The ERF — Ettlinger rotation filter — can handle up to 15 percent contamination, officials said.
“The finest filter we offer is 180 mesh,” Neuber said. “There is no limit to the coarse side.”
The filter has a one- to five-month life span in typical operations, and the knife — which needs to be kept sharp so it clears debris, rather than forcing it down into filter pores — can be quick-changed in five minutes.
Thorsten Ettlinger said development of the ERF — which was done in the 1980s by his father, Roderich Ettlinger, the Königsbrunn, Germany-based firm’s founder and general manager of research and development — centered on the ability to meet varying levels of contamination.
“Most [stationary] screen filters are limited to 1 percent of contamination in the input material,” he said.
Neuber said the ERF cannot process PVC, and metal scrap larger than 4 millimeters and abrasives like sand and glass present a challenge, as they can cut the surface of the screen.
Both KraussMaffei and Ettlinger officials said plastics recyclers are joining compounders and converters as their customers.
“Europe is probably more advanced [in the use of recycled materials], because they have very advanced collecting systems in place for post-industrial and post-consumer materials,” Neuber said. “That is still something that needs to be established more in the U.S., and definitely would lead to more business for us.”
Martin Mack, vice president of R&D for KM’s extrusion division, said bringing value from nothing to 50 cents on the dollar for recycled material vs. virgin resin is the name of the game, but challenges remain when using recycled materials.
“In earlier years, PVC was in the polyester stream,” he said. “Now fillers such as calcium carbonate are problematic.”
At the end of the day, it is up to the extruding customer to decide whether screen changers, disc screens or the ERF systems are the most economical means to separate contaminants, he said.
Ettlinger has marketed the ERF since 2003 in Europe and Asia. Neuber, who bought control of the company in October 2010 after working in Europe as an executive at Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and GE Plastics, is taking the ERF and Ettlinger’s line of injection presses to this year’s Fakuma show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and to 2012’s NPE in Orlando, Fla.
Meanwhile, Diletti, another ex-Husky official, is working to establish a sales office and technical center in the U.S. Officials plan to use the second testing center to supplement work that is done in Königsbrunn.
That makes events like the Oct. 6 demonstration of Ettlinger’s rotating melt filter at KraussMaffei Corp.’s Florence headquarters essential, according to General Manager Volker Neuber.
“We’re a small company, but we want to make sure that we engineer a product with a good reputation,” he said. “We know we have an excellent product, but we have to get the brand known as well as it is in Europe, where it is already proven.”
Accompanied by Thorsten Ettlinger, the firm’s general manager of engineering, and Mike Diletti, its North American sales manager, Neuber and a team of KraussMaffei extrusion engineers ran the stainless-steel filtration system through its paces on a KM ZE 60A UTXi twin-screw extruder at the open house, running polypropylene and high density polyethylene as the main material and loading handfuls of PET chips, rubber bands, wood and aluminum scrap into the hopper from time to time.
At the end of the line, pellets of clean resin rushed from a Gala underwater pelletizer into bins under a high-pressure air hose.
The filter, mounted on a rotating drum, is scraped clean by a knife edge, with the pressure of the knife and speed of the drum controlled by temperature and pressure sensors.
While the primary material flows through holes in the screen, foreign matter is cleaned off and removed from the device by a carryout screw.
The ERF — Ettlinger rotation filter — can handle up to 15 percent contamination, officials said.
“The finest filter we offer is 180 mesh,” Neuber said. “There is no limit to the coarse side.”
The filter has a one- to five-month life span in typical operations, and the knife — which needs to be kept sharp so it clears debris, rather than forcing it down into filter pores — can be quick-changed in five minutes.
Thorsten Ettlinger said development of the ERF — which was done in the 1980s by his father, Roderich Ettlinger, the Königsbrunn, Germany-based firm’s founder and general manager of research and development — centered on the ability to meet varying levels of contamination.
“Most [stationary] screen filters are limited to 1 percent of contamination in the input material,” he said.
Neuber said the ERF cannot process PVC, and metal scrap larger than 4 millimeters and abrasives like sand and glass present a challenge, as they can cut the surface of the screen.
Both KraussMaffei and Ettlinger officials said plastics recyclers are joining compounders and converters as their customers.
“Europe is probably more advanced [in the use of recycled materials], because they have very advanced collecting systems in place for post-industrial and post-consumer materials,” Neuber said. “That is still something that needs to be established more in the U.S., and definitely would lead to more business for us.”
Martin Mack, vice president of R&D for KM’s extrusion division, said bringing value from nothing to 50 cents on the dollar for recycled material vs. virgin resin is the name of the game, but challenges remain when using recycled materials.
“In earlier years, PVC was in the polyester stream,” he said. “Now fillers such as calcium carbonate are problematic.”
At the end of the day, it is up to the extruding customer to decide whether screen changers, disc screens or the ERF systems are the most economical means to separate contaminants, he said.
Ettlinger has marketed the ERF since 2003 in Europe and Asia. Neuber, who bought control of the company in October 2010 after working in Europe as an executive at Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. and GE Plastics, is taking the ERF and Ettlinger’s line of injection presses to this year’s Fakuma show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and to 2012’s NPE in Orlando, Fla.
Meanwhile, Diletti, another ex-Husky official, is working to establish a sales office and technical center in the U.S. Officials plan to use the second testing center to supplement work that is done in Königsbrunn.
2011年10月12日星期三
NEW Special Coated Brush Holders
Helwig Carbon is pleased to announce a new coated brush holder for harsh industrial environments. This option is available on all types of brush holders. According to Christopher Eiteljorge, Electrical Engineer with Steel Dynamics "Prior to joining the department in 2010, our Pickle Line DC motors used GE brush boxes and Helwig Carbon Red Top brushes. At that time, it was commonplace to be changing brushes and brush boxes on some of our more problematic motors up to once every month due to the Hydrochloric Acid fumes experienced on a Pickle Line. Since implementing the Helwig Carbon special coated holders on these motors we have seen a significant decrease in frequency of brush and brush holder changes.
In mid-2010, our Tension Reel A motor consisted of standard GE uncoated holders with Helwig Carbon Red Top brushes while our Tension Reel B motor consisted of Helwig Carbon coated brush holders with silver plated hardware and Helwig Carbon Red Top brushes. All of the brushes and holders were installed at the same time. Doing monthly inspections over the course of one year, every single GE brush holder had to be replaced before a single Helwig Carbon special coated holder was replaced. The special coating and silver plating provided enough resistance to the HCI atmosphere that the brushes could slide freely in their holders.
With the results that we have seen with the in-service testing described above, I plan on working with Bill Fleming from Horner Industrial Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN on a large order of Helwig Carbon special coated brush boxes with a goal of replacing the brush boxes in all of our problematic motors and stocking spares for each as well."
In mid-2010, our Tension Reel A motor consisted of standard GE uncoated holders with Helwig Carbon Red Top brushes while our Tension Reel B motor consisted of Helwig Carbon coated brush holders with silver plated hardware and Helwig Carbon Red Top brushes. All of the brushes and holders were installed at the same time. Doing monthly inspections over the course of one year, every single GE brush holder had to be replaced before a single Helwig Carbon special coated holder was replaced. The special coating and silver plating provided enough resistance to the HCI atmosphere that the brushes could slide freely in their holders.
With the results that we have seen with the in-service testing described above, I plan on working with Bill Fleming from Horner Industrial Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN on a large order of Helwig Carbon special coated brush boxes with a goal of replacing the brush boxes in all of our problematic motors and stocking spares for each as well."
2011年10月11日星期二
Saint-Gobain Abrasives Ltd
Norton is launching a new range of abrasive pads specially designed for sanding large surfaces. The new pads are 203 mm in diameter and come in several different designs.
When grinding large surfaces easier work if you use more abrasive pads for better performance and more efficient grinding. Norton's new line of 203 mm grinding discs are specially designed for sanding primer and painted surfaces, composites, fiberglass, non-ferrous metals such as aluminum. The field can be found including in the automotive finishing, Boats and repair, automotive, manufacturing of products made from composite materials and other manufacturing industries.
The new pads are available in various designs for coarse to fine grinding. For rough grinding used Norton Blue Fire that has Norzon-abrasive and a strong and resilient paper back. This roundabout is the grain size 40 - 120th Norton Pro-pads are used for finer grinding. They have a grinding medium of heat-treated and high-performance aluminum oxide and an additional surface layer that prevents clogging. Norton Pro-pads in grit sizes 80 - 400. For very fine grinding is used abrasive pad Norton Pro Plus is available in grain sizes up to 800. This pad is coated with a premium Abrasives Norton SG ceramic and heat-treated aluminum oxide which provides the fastest deforestation and a very smooth and constant repmönster according to the manufacturer. Norton Pro Plus is coated with a special filler that prevents clogging for long life. All pads are available with 8 +1 or 26 +1 dammutsugningshål, and the range also includes base plates and spacers.
"With this new specialty items roundabouts are grinding large surfaces efficiently, thanks to the fast cutting and longer life expectancy and the end result is also better," says Stefan Olsson, sales manager at Saint-Gobain Abrasives AB.
When grinding large surfaces easier work if you use more abrasive pads for better performance and more efficient grinding. Norton's new line of 203 mm grinding discs are specially designed for sanding primer and painted surfaces, composites, fiberglass, non-ferrous metals such as aluminum. The field can be found including in the automotive finishing, Boats and repair, automotive, manufacturing of products made from composite materials and other manufacturing industries.
The new pads are available in various designs for coarse to fine grinding. For rough grinding used Norton Blue Fire that has Norzon-abrasive and a strong and resilient paper back. This roundabout is the grain size 40 - 120th Norton Pro-pads are used for finer grinding. They have a grinding medium of heat-treated and high-performance aluminum oxide and an additional surface layer that prevents clogging. Norton Pro-pads in grit sizes 80 - 400. For very fine grinding is used abrasive pad Norton Pro Plus is available in grain sizes up to 800. This pad is coated with a premium Abrasives Norton SG ceramic and heat-treated aluminum oxide which provides the fastest deforestation and a very smooth and constant repmönster according to the manufacturer. Norton Pro Plus is coated with a special filler that prevents clogging for long life. All pads are available with 8 +1 or 26 +1 dammutsugningshål, and the range also includes base plates and spacers.
"With this new specialty items roundabouts are grinding large surfaces efficiently, thanks to the fast cutting and longer life expectancy and the end result is also better," says Stefan Olsson, sales manager at Saint-Gobain Abrasives AB.
2011年10月10日星期一
A Great Long Term Investment
There are not too many companies that you can say Buy and Hold but 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) may be one of them. The ones you’d like to buy and hold should have an A++ financial strength, a 100 percentile price stability rating, fairly predictable earnings streams and a cash flow that will allow for share buy backs, aggressive R&D, funding of acquisitions and any capital expenditures management deems necessary. 3M has all of those. Buying these companies on dips is always a good long term strategy.
3M Company (MMM), together with subsidiaries, operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company’s Industrial and Transportation segment offers tapes, coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft, and specialty vehicles.
Its Healthcare segment provides medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products, health information systems, and food safety products.
The company’s Display and Graphics offers optical film solutions for LCD electronic displays; computer screen filters; reflective sheeting for transportation safety; commercial graphics sheeting and systems; and mobile interactive solutions, including mobile display technology, visual systems products, and computer privacy filters.
The company’s Consumer and Office segment provides office supply products, stationery products, construction and home improvement products, home care products, protective material products, certain consumer retail personal safety products, and consumer health care products.
Its Safety, Security and Protection Services segment offers personal protection products, safety and security products, cleaning and protection products for commercial establishments, track and trace solutions, and roofing granules for asphalt shingles.
The company’s Electro and Communications segment provides packaging and interconnection devices; fluids that are used in the manufacture of computer chips, and for cooling electronics and lubricating computer hard disk drives; high-temperature and display tapes; insulating materials, including tapes and resins; and related items. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
3M Company (MMM), together with subsidiaries, operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company’s Industrial and Transportation segment offers tapes, coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft, and specialty vehicles.
Its Healthcare segment provides medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products, health information systems, and food safety products.
The company’s Display and Graphics offers optical film solutions for LCD electronic displays; computer screen filters; reflective sheeting for transportation safety; commercial graphics sheeting and systems; and mobile interactive solutions, including mobile display technology, visual systems products, and computer privacy filters.
The company’s Consumer and Office segment provides office supply products, stationery products, construction and home improvement products, home care products, protective material products, certain consumer retail personal safety products, and consumer health care products.
Its Safety, Security and Protection Services segment offers personal protection products, safety and security products, cleaning and protection products for commercial establishments, track and trace solutions, and roofing granules for asphalt shingles.
The company’s Electro and Communications segment provides packaging and interconnection devices; fluids that are used in the manufacture of computer chips, and for cooling electronics and lubricating computer hard disk drives; high-temperature and display tapes; insulating materials, including tapes and resins; and related items. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
2011年10月9日星期日
Saint-Gobain buys Solar Gard
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has completed its acquisition of all of the the businesses comprising the Bekaert Specialty Films activity of the Belgian Group Bekaert.
These businesses, operating under the brand Solar Gard, are specialized in the development, manufacturing and distribution of window films for the architectural and automotive markets, custom coatings for a wide range of industrial applications, and photovoltaics.
The acquisition is part of Saint-Gobain’s strategy to become the reference in sustainable habitat, and enables the company to enlarge its offer of innovative solutions for energy conservation, as well as for other high-performance applications, according to a company release.
Solar Gard’s integration into Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics offers a large number of growth possibilities worldwide, as well as numerous new product developments, the release said. Solar Gard products are sold in more than 90 countries under the Solar Gard, Panorama, Quantum and Solar Gard Armorcoat brands.
An international producer of industrial materials, Saint-Gobain Corp. is known mostly for manufacturing building materials. The company also makes abrasives, ceramics, and glass containers and jars for food and beverages. Saint-Gobain posted 2010 worldwide sales of about $55.5 billion, at current conversion rates. In Worcester, the company employs about 1,400 people in abrasives, ceramics and performance plastics.
These businesses, operating under the brand Solar Gard, are specialized in the development, manufacturing and distribution of window films for the architectural and automotive markets, custom coatings for a wide range of industrial applications, and photovoltaics.
The acquisition is part of Saint-Gobain’s strategy to become the reference in sustainable habitat, and enables the company to enlarge its offer of innovative solutions for energy conservation, as well as for other high-performance applications, according to a company release.
Solar Gard’s integration into Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics offers a large number of growth possibilities worldwide, as well as numerous new product developments, the release said. Solar Gard products are sold in more than 90 countries under the Solar Gard, Panorama, Quantum and Solar Gard Armorcoat brands.
An international producer of industrial materials, Saint-Gobain Corp. is known mostly for manufacturing building materials. The company also makes abrasives, ceramics, and glass containers and jars for food and beverages. Saint-Gobain posted 2010 worldwide sales of about $55.5 billion, at current conversion rates. In Worcester, the company employs about 1,400 people in abrasives, ceramics and performance plastics.
2011年10月8日星期六
Our Perfect Disease or Walking Disasters?
Bringing their caffeine-coated indie-pop to Glasgow, The Wombats hosted a hyperactive party for the school disco crowd.
It was evident school was out for an October break last night from the inebriated youth snaking up the front of Glasgow's O2 Academy, wedging a ticket too close to my eyes to focus and slurring, "Want to come to Wombats?"
It was a lovely offer from the youngster, who I imagine was refused entry for his current condition, though luckily I was sorted already and from the sound of things had arrived just in time for the party.
Beginning on a hyperactive rendition of Our Perfect Disease with playschool synths aplenty, the crowd bounced in their Topshop finery with hands in the air and hair fashionably messy. The jangly indie-pop of The Wombats appeared to be bang on trend and you can imagine why with their E-number infused sound , angst and ability for anyone to sing along to every song with a contagious "oooh" even if you don't know any of the lyrics.
Keeping on the upbeat off-beat, Kill The Director, an older hit, was sprung on us next and had the audience singing along at full volume until the rowdy chant of ," This is no Bridget Jones".
Continuing on the subject of girls, Party In A Forest (Where's Laura) and Patricia The Stripper are sung at lung screaming levels, a pop-sermon for the school disco crowd. The repeat chorus of "Laaau-ra" gives the waltz a nauseating bad-dream feel where the only things missing are the clown masks.
As the set progresses with one quick burst of a thrashing track after another, the strain in the lead vocal becomes more and more apparent. Matthew Murray's voice goes unnoticed by fans who are generally shouting louder than him and dancing violently, but thick in accent and struggling, it really begins to get more abrasive than the sandpaper aisle at a B&Q megastore.
No one seems bothered though, and the show continues pretty much like forward rolling down a mountain with the odd gentle slope to catch a few breaths on, before hurtling at full speed all over again.
One of these heart rate stabilising moments is This Modern Glitch closer, Schumacher The Champagne. This is the track where the crowd start to pair off before the jubilant chorus of "Take me as I am or not at all". In terms of The Wombats, I know where I stand on that one...
Back to the twangy-jangle-pop of Techno Fan, the onset of some spectacular lasers form a lid on the melting pot of the crowd. This is the beginning of an energetic run home for the relentless Wombats who trail through their best known tracks including Moving To New York and Tokyo-Vampires & Wolves.
Interestingly the cartoonish trio end Moving To New York on a mega-riff, a bit like they're doing Rage Against The Machine on Stars In Their Eyes. Known for saying the were initially a bit of a joke band when they first began back in 2003, I wonder if this interlude is homage to their comic beginnings. I certainly hope so...
Closing with Anti-D and Let's Dance To Joy Division, my favourite thing about tonight was definitely the visual rather than the audio, with a simple but fitting display of images and spectacular light show. Fans on the other hand adored seeing their heroes live, giddy in their own perspiration as they left the venue dishevelled and smiling.
It was evident school was out for an October break last night from the inebriated youth snaking up the front of Glasgow's O2 Academy, wedging a ticket too close to my eyes to focus and slurring, "Want to come to Wombats?"
It was a lovely offer from the youngster, who I imagine was refused entry for his current condition, though luckily I was sorted already and from the sound of things had arrived just in time for the party.
Beginning on a hyperactive rendition of Our Perfect Disease with playschool synths aplenty, the crowd bounced in their Topshop finery with hands in the air and hair fashionably messy. The jangly indie-pop of The Wombats appeared to be bang on trend and you can imagine why with their E-number infused sound , angst and ability for anyone to sing along to every song with a contagious "oooh" even if you don't know any of the lyrics.
Keeping on the upbeat off-beat, Kill The Director, an older hit, was sprung on us next and had the audience singing along at full volume until the rowdy chant of ," This is no Bridget Jones".
Continuing on the subject of girls, Party In A Forest (Where's Laura) and Patricia The Stripper are sung at lung screaming levels, a pop-sermon for the school disco crowd. The repeat chorus of "Laaau-ra" gives the waltz a nauseating bad-dream feel where the only things missing are the clown masks.
As the set progresses with one quick burst of a thrashing track after another, the strain in the lead vocal becomes more and more apparent. Matthew Murray's voice goes unnoticed by fans who are generally shouting louder than him and dancing violently, but thick in accent and struggling, it really begins to get more abrasive than the sandpaper aisle at a B&Q megastore.
No one seems bothered though, and the show continues pretty much like forward rolling down a mountain with the odd gentle slope to catch a few breaths on, before hurtling at full speed all over again.
One of these heart rate stabilising moments is This Modern Glitch closer, Schumacher The Champagne. This is the track where the crowd start to pair off before the jubilant chorus of "Take me as I am or not at all". In terms of The Wombats, I know where I stand on that one...
Back to the twangy-jangle-pop of Techno Fan, the onset of some spectacular lasers form a lid on the melting pot of the crowd. This is the beginning of an energetic run home for the relentless Wombats who trail through their best known tracks including Moving To New York and Tokyo-Vampires & Wolves.
Interestingly the cartoonish trio end Moving To New York on a mega-riff, a bit like they're doing Rage Against The Machine on Stars In Their Eyes. Known for saying the were initially a bit of a joke band when they first began back in 2003, I wonder if this interlude is homage to their comic beginnings. I certainly hope so...
Closing with Anti-D and Let's Dance To Joy Division, my favourite thing about tonight was definitely the visual rather than the audio, with a simple but fitting display of images and spectacular light show. Fans on the other hand adored seeing their heroes live, giddy in their own perspiration as they left the venue dishevelled and smiling.
2011年10月7日星期五
Global Energy wins attention
The shares are up 9 per cent to 94.5p today and should have further to run, with news flow expected to be stepped up in the weeks ahead. Global joined AIM in 2002 at a time when there were just 10 exploratory wells in Colombia, with 110 wells being worked on currently, the country has clearly attracted a great deal of new investment.
It has one of the largest 2P reserves on AIM (124.6 million boe) but the intention is to accelerate its efforts in realising their potential. The current production rate has been pegged back to less than 2,000 bopd but this is to allow Global the opportunity to reduce its water disposal costs.
Due to the loss of a third party vendor its water disposal bill has soared by 50 per cent, however it now plans to recommence production with lower water rates and investors that recall the un-commercial well drilled last year (Rio Verde 2) will be pleased to hear that it plans to use this abandoned well to dispose of water.
With transportation costs high, Global is focusing more effort at exploiting its Bocachico contract to the west of Colombia. Having previously encountered a flow rate of 400 bopd over 10 years ago the well was shut in, partly due to the prevailing oil price at the time but also due to the abundance of sand.
But, using a technique developed in Canada known as CHOPS (Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand) it has engaged an oilfield service firm to explore the opportunity to re-enter the well. Using abrasives-tolerant pumps, CHOPS is well suited for heavy oil fields that produce sand, and has been proven to deliver 'substantial rate improvements'. So if successful it could lead to a good hike in oil production.
Global is also to target its energies on its Bolivar contracts. Back in 1998, it spent just shy of $30 million on two drilled wells which for a time were producing at an equivalent 20,000 bopd. Having researched and evaluated various seismic and formation images it plans to undertake a shale test in the Simiti formation. With ease of access to market, Global should be able to yield a substantial saving on what it is currently paying to transport oil from its Rio Verde operations (a large chunk of current production).
The Peru Block 95 license has been effectively farmed out to Canada listed major Gran Tierra Energy on a 60:40 basis, whereby the $15 million cost of the exploration well (scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2012) will be met by Gran Tierra.
It has one of the largest 2P reserves on AIM (124.6 million boe) but the intention is to accelerate its efforts in realising their potential. The current production rate has been pegged back to less than 2,000 bopd but this is to allow Global the opportunity to reduce its water disposal costs.
Due to the loss of a third party vendor its water disposal bill has soared by 50 per cent, however it now plans to recommence production with lower water rates and investors that recall the un-commercial well drilled last year (Rio Verde 2) will be pleased to hear that it plans to use this abandoned well to dispose of water.
With transportation costs high, Global is focusing more effort at exploiting its Bocachico contract to the west of Colombia. Having previously encountered a flow rate of 400 bopd over 10 years ago the well was shut in, partly due to the prevailing oil price at the time but also due to the abundance of sand.
But, using a technique developed in Canada known as CHOPS (Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand) it has engaged an oilfield service firm to explore the opportunity to re-enter the well. Using abrasives-tolerant pumps, CHOPS is well suited for heavy oil fields that produce sand, and has been proven to deliver 'substantial rate improvements'. So if successful it could lead to a good hike in oil production.
Global is also to target its energies on its Bolivar contracts. Back in 1998, it spent just shy of $30 million on two drilled wells which for a time were producing at an equivalent 20,000 bopd. Having researched and evaluated various seismic and formation images it plans to undertake a shale test in the Simiti formation. With ease of access to market, Global should be able to yield a substantial saving on what it is currently paying to transport oil from its Rio Verde operations (a large chunk of current production).
The Peru Block 95 license has been effectively farmed out to Canada listed major Gran Tierra Energy on a 60:40 basis, whereby the $15 million cost of the exploration well (scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2012) will be met by Gran Tierra.
订阅：
博文 (Atom)